Rockies Rumors: Fuentes, Embree, Taveras
Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post has a few Rockies tidbits today…
- It deserves another mention – Brian Fuentes has scheduled a visit with the Mets. If he signs there, the Rockies will add the Mets’ #25 pick to their own #11 pick in the first round while also snagging a sandwich pick.
- The Rockies want two lefties, probably from the pool of Glendon Rusch, Alan Embree, Brian Shouse, and Joe Beimel. Renck says the Tigers are aggressively pursuing Beimel, while Embree might have extra appeal if he can be had on a one-year deal.
- The Rockies hope to trade Willy Taveras, while free agent Cory Sullivan could fit with the Marlins or D’Backs according to Renck. The Rockies plan to use Ryan Spilborghs in center and perhaps re-sign Scott Podsednik as a reserve.
Reds Wanted Spilborghs For Fogg
According to Tracy Ringolsby of the Rocky Mountain News back on August 1st, the Rockies tried to acquire Cincinnati starter Josh Fogg but the Reds asked for outfielder Ryan Spilborghs in return. Troy E. Renck does not believe Fogg will clear waivers this month.
Fogg, 31, has a 7.57 ERA in 54.2 innings for the Reds this year. He’s been a bit better since returning from a long DL stint for back spasms. Fogg had to wait around until February to sign a one-year, $1MM deal with the Reds, which he probably regrets. Fogg apparently turned down a preliminary one-year offer from the Rockies soon after the World Series.
Spilborghs, 29 in September, is hitting .314/.420/.497 in 224 plate appearances this year. He crushes lefties. However, he has not played since July 8th due to an oblique strain. Spilborghs is under team control for quite a while. He’s worth much more than Fogg, even with teams getting desperate for starters.
Cubs Asked For Spilborghs
A note at the end of Troy Renck’s column today: when the Rockies asked the Cubs about southpaw reliever Will Ohman, the Cubs asked for outfielder Ryan Spilborghs. Spilborghs hit 11 home runs in 264 ABs this year. The Rockies passed, and the Cubs went on to trade Ohman to the Braves.
Renck adds that the Cubs are "closing in on Kosuke Fukudome," which echoes Geoff Baker’s take last night.